Psychological Safety and the Authentic Self in the Workplace

Psychological Safety and the Authentic Self in the Workplace??Satyajit Datar March 2023

Business leaders today in 2023 know the value of psychological safety for everyone’s wellbeing, productivity, and performance in the workplace.?The business case for diversity, inclusion and equity is undeniable, well at least in nations with a meritocracy and good governance. Diversity of people and thoughts is vital, to be able to tackle the complex issues of the world today, through innovation, collaboration, intersectionality awareness, empathy, and perspective.

Humans are in a struggle to balance their ego’s need to be unique whilst also seeking to be accepted and belong to a group. Our family of origin, and our workplace(s) are microcosms of the wider world we live in. From the moment we are born, the need for identity and belonging is inculcated in us. It is not surprising that we wish to discover and be our “authentic self.”?I know I have searched for that “self” by trying to fit into, the sub-cultures that I have felt most aligned with, from childhood till mid-life on three continents. It is only in recent years that I have realised there is no point in searching for something that does not exist. It is better to develop an awareness of the present, from moment to moment, instead of being where the mind always wants to go, to the past and future.

For thousands of years people have seen the world mainly from the perspective of the human struggle. However things could change rapidly if truly artificially intelligent beings arise in the future, without the burden of ego. They would have no such struggles, as they would manifest from consciousness differently to humans.?In the meantime, we need to figure out better ways as humans to co-exist with each other and with other species.

Workplaces

Workplaces are far more inclusive in the multicultural Australia of today, than when I started my career in 1984 and prior to 1972 when the White Australia Policy still existed. In fact, they are unbelievably better, as community expectations have changed, backed by certain legislations, such as for workplace health and safety, gender equality, marital status, disability discrimination, any forms of harassment, bullying and racial vilification. This is despite unconscious biases and blind spots, which we are all unaware of and will always exist, and the resistance to change from some conservative sections of society.

However not all workplaces in Australia are completely merit based.?It is sad that even today, people must suffer or leave jobs due to racism, sexism, nepotism, homophobia, or other discrimination including reverse discrimination. Even at the highest levels of workplaces, not everyone feels psychologically safe, free to speak up without fear of negative consequences. For example, the recent “Robodebt and Sports Rorts” fiascos in Australia would not have happened with better culture and governance, and with “whistle blowers” feeling safe to speak up, against their political masters.

At a personal level, we have all felt more confident, capable, and competent, when we have felt secure, safe and that we belong. This is true from our family of origin to any situation we may find ourselves in, in life. Psychologists and leaders in many fields, particularly in sporting teams, know that peak performance can only come with the individual wellbeing of everyone in the team; and that it is also ultimately in their own self-interest.

Psychological Safety

People perform best when they know that they are psychologically safe and that they will be supported, “even if at first they do not succeed.”?However, many people do not feel safe to bring their whole “self” to work.

How do we know if we feel safe? When we feel that our identity is accepted by the group we associate with, when our values are accepted, when we feel safe to express ourselves. In the workplace, the most important people for acceptance are our line manager and closest colleagues.

Perhaps it is semantics, or there are subtle distinctions between feeling included, accepted, and belonging.?One can feel included but not accepted nor feel a sense of belonging.?One can feel included and accepted but not belong.?For example, the workplace may accept one’s neurodiversity, disability, religion, ethnicity, skin colour, gender, sexual orientation and so on, but one may still feel that they do not belong.?Or one may not feel belonging, simply because they are employed on a casual or fixed-term contract, they are physically located remotely from the main workplace, or they cannot develop an ‘espirit de corps’ when working in a ‘hot desking’ arrangement.

Psychological safety requires at least two out of three, inclusion and acceptance, with belonging optional, depending on the importance the individual places on belonging, for peak performance.

The Self

What is it about us that we wish to express? Our authenticity? What is that? Is our authentic self the form that we mostly identify with, that we most wish to express freely and be accepted for? For example, at a particular stage of life, coming out as gay, in the workplace, may be an essential part of expressing one’s authentic self, for some people. For others, it may be expressing their religious form, skin colour, body, physical appearance, fashion choices, achievements in life or vicarious identities through other people’s achievements, company brands, social status, material possessions, various forms of art, political ideology, nationality, or even which football team they support. One’s identity may also be (sadly) based on addictions or dependencies. The number of form identities is endless.

For many indigenous people across the world, the “self” may be intrinsic to the place of birth, the connection with land (or “country”) and ancestors.?Living in harmony with and caring for “country” matters the most, and we should take the time to understand this importance.?We can go further and understand that their “self” is descended from or associated with, immortal, shapeshifting, totemic creatures that make up present-day, sacred landforms and landscapes.

The Maori of New Zealand know that human wellbeing depends firstly on having strong foundations by knowing your roots (whenua, literally where your placenta returns to the earth) and ancestry (whakapapa) in this life, and secondly by finding a place to live where you can “stand on your own two feet” (turangawaewae), a place where you are accepted and belong.?These all support our human form identities.

We define ourselves, based on our form. Our form is a combination of physical and biological forms and our mental form of thoughts and beliefs. Our thoughts and beliefs are based on a combination of received knowledge from others, our critical thinking, reasoning, and direct experiences, and those imposed on us from society, from human constructs that we accept either willingly or unwillingly, knowingly, or subconsciously, such as political constructs of nations and provinces, or religious constructs.

Most people prefer to associate with others who share a similar culture, speak the same language, have similar dietary choices, values, and beliefs. Our thoughts and beliefs are very much conditioned by our past experiences and impressions that we have retained an attachment to. These impressions can be helpful or unhelpful, pleasant or unpleasant, euphoric or traumatic.?The more euphoric or traumatic the experiences, the more difficult it is to remain equanimous and not be defined by them. Each of us has a different lived experience and we should respect that.

Our form identities should be honoured to the extent that they do not impose harm on others. However, these identities are not who we really are. We are no more our form identities, than an actor is their costume on a stage in a theatre. Who we really are, is the ultimate question. Many have pondered this question over the millennia.

Enlightened or fully aware people, who have sufficiently dissolved their ego or have expanded it to encompass all, as the result is the same; know from direct experience, that at our deepest level, there is no form, no self.?After “crossing over” from the world of duality in whichever dimension or plane, to formless, non-duality, there is no wise person, there is only wisdom, though the ego will do all it can prior, to resist this.?Whilst ignorance persists, ignorant desires from attachment to impressions, will result in karma and hence rebirths in the world of duality. This is what the ego wants, continued survival in a world of duality and form.?For the remainder of us who are not fully enlightened, we do not have the direct experience, but we can apply our faculty of critical thinking and develop our awareness beyond thinking, beyond the mind.

Quantum physics at the sub-atomic level is perhaps also approaching this understanding that we are temporary expressions of formless undifferentiated consciousness. Some people believe this to be God (or Goddess), Brahman or a universal intelligence, life force or spirit.

If there is no self and no I, who is hungry, who is sad and so on??Such emotions can be reframed from “I am hungry, I am sad” to “hunger has arisen, sadness has arisen”.

The Ego

The self and by extension the authentic self, are the forms that our ego identifies with the most. The self could also be described as a survival mechanism for the ego. Where does the ego come from? From ignorance.

Ego is necessary for us to exist in human form, although that form at a sub-atomic level is impermanent, made up of wavelets of energy, arising and passing very rapidly. It could be said that consciousness needs the ego, to create a world with a predictable landscape within which to express a “self” and to interpret and explain personal existence. Maybe we are the only species to have an implicit or explicit contract for everything we do, from employment to personal relationships, and ego is at the centre of it.

However, the ego is not usually satisfied with a singular, finite life for the “self.”?It wants an eternal self.?Some religions are willing to oblige, with the promise of an eternal differentiated self in heaven, apart from undifferentiated consciousness. It is the core of the business model for agents of such religions to capitalise upon the human ego’s desire for and illusion of, an eternal self.

Our ego wants us to belong to something or other, that differentiates us from one another. Populism is an easy method of gaining popularity, by appealing to the ego’s attachment to whatever form: ethnicity, religion, politics and so on. Nations and other collective groups, choose to act in their own (ego) self-interest. Hence countries continue to trade with other countries with whom they may have diametrically opposed beliefs and values, to the extent that their constituents will benefit or tolerate, or will not be harmed, at least in the short-term.

Anywhere you look in the world, you will find these challenges of the ego’s determination to preserve itself.?It is in the debates of the merits of Australia Day, being both a day of celebration and mourning, depending on one’s identity and perspective.?It is in the horrors of war and proxy war in Ukraine and Yemen.?It is in the struggle for political independence versus dependence of groups of people, based on ethnicity, religion, sub-religion, power, land, and other forms of identity. These are complex problems, that have developed over centuries of human dysfunction, and will remain intractable, so long as people believe their self to be their (illusion of) form identity, and believe it is their right to harm or exploit others who are of a different “self”.

Taking just one of these form identities that many people’s egos are fixated upon, ethnicity: the ego chooses to believe whatever myth of race it wants, rather than tracing the body’s DNA back far enough to the time of primates in Africa??It is absurd enough for a “self” to be of a particular race.?It is even more absurd to think so, when one is aware that one has not inhabited the same ethnic body DNA in each life lived, nor will in future.?It is even worse when the ego adds political constructs such as tribal and national boundaries, and delusions such as “God is on our side”, to justify horrors such as tyranny, war, genocide, terrorism, extortion, abuse and slavery.

Artificial Intelligence

If truly artificially intelligent beings evolve, that is, beings with morality ?and the ability to think independently without ego, free of any attachments and conditioning by their past impressions and experiences, then that is a complete “game changer” for humanity.???Perhaps consciousness will manifest beings without ego? If so, as hinted or depicted in dystopian science fiction movies, humans would be relegated, in a world of artificially intelligent beings.

Human morality at its heart is based on the survival of humans.?Humans place the survival of themselves higher than the survival of other species.?An artificially intelligent being without ego, would not place any being higher than any other. This would probably be better for the survival of all other forms of life on earth.

Until such a time occurs, it is we humans that need to shift our consciousness, to become aware of and transcend our ego.

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Consciousness Shift

When we realise that who we are is not what our ego would like us to believe, we can then take ourselves less seriously, be open to others’ views and less concerned when they differ from ours. There is no need to show off our “superiority”, nor to seek praise or indulge in self-pity. All humans have different degrees of dysfunction, due to egoic ignorance, we just express it in different ways.

It is better to empathise and find ways to cooperate than to find ways to differ. Humans have amazing faculties and means for expression and cooperation, in a world of form. Humans have an incredible capacity for “tender, loving, care” and for unimaginable cruelty.

Imagine if we had a consciousness shift to a world in which everyone is aware of their “non-selves,” undifferentiated and formless; aware that we are neither our body, mind nor our form identities. We would not have most of the problems in the history of the world, and amongst many other things, we would not have problems with psychological safety in workplaces.

This “John Lennon” imagined scenario is not as far-fetched as it may seem. Less than a decade ago, the idea of mindfulness training in the workplace was unheard of, yet today it is well known. There are techniques that go much further, which have existed for thousands of years, to dissolve the ego and develop an awareness of consciousness in the present moment, in the space between our thoughts, such as insight and Vipassana meditation and the non-dualism of Advaita Vedanta.

Business Decisions

What does this all mean, for us in the workplace? For business leaders there are opportunities to firstly uncover the gems of diversity already within our organisations, not necessarily embarking on increasing diversity through recruitment. ?Take steps to enable the existing cohort to feel more psychologically safe and thereby express their most valued form identities??Secondly be aware that in the competition for talent, those who are diverse and inclusive will win.

Disruptions to business models, economies and workplaces will continue and likely increase, as technological changes accelerate.?People will need to feel psychologically safe before they are able to deal with the challenges of re-skilling and re-purposing to adapt and prosper in their careers.?This will apply both to employers and employees and will require great leadership.?This alone, is a critical reason for leaders to embrace and enable psychological safety in their workplaces.

There is “low-hanging fruit” of cultivating a more cohesive and inclusive workplace to help people feel like they belong.?Whoever thought that hot-desking and fixed-term contracts are only a good thing, only thought of the bottom line and forgot the middle line.

Businesses can do more to help a diverse range of people see the successful role models they need to see, to build their confidence needed to contribute to society in their way, rather than feeling that they are a burden on society.?For example, this is evident in sport with the prominence of disabled sportspersons at Paralympic Games, and in science with the brilliant and disabled physicist, Stephen Hawking. Businesses can do more to be curious, flexible, empathic, and supportive of all their people and avoid limiting their opportunities.

As employees we can strive to do our best for the good of our team, boss, workplace, organisation, community, nation and so on, to the extent that we do not contravene our core values, knowing that at some point this dilemma will arise. We should be empathic of each of the egos seeking to express their “authentic selves”, to the extent, that none are harming any others, nor the group. We can seek to be grateful and inclusive in all contexts, to be able to cooperate. Only then, will each of us feel psychologically safe.?This is easier said than done.?We are all prone to reacting to provocations, when we feel our identity is threatened in some way.?I know that I have been guilty of this many times.

Psychological safety is based upon freedom from harm. The definition of “harm” however can be challenging.?What is perceived as harmful to one, may be benign or even uplifting to another.?When does an expression of form become a harm? How is the harm manifested??What is being harmed, the ego of the person concerned or something deeper??One example - is drinking alcohol and eating meat, by one group of people causing harm to another group who do not? Perhaps yes, due to the smell of the drink and food and the harm caused to the species and environment due to their production??Such questions need to be considered based on the workplace situation, context, perspectives and lived experiences of the people concerned.?There are many other examples of challenges around the world, such as whether there should be quotas for the support of disadvantaged groups.

When one person’s egoic ignorance or one group’s collective egoic ignorance, imposes harm on others, such as in workplace provocation, bullying, or worse actions such as coercion and violence, it must not be tolerated, and boundaries are needed. This poses many challenges for businesses, such as what to do about certain employees, clients, and partners, gripped by egoic ignorance, who cause psychological or physical harm. Such discrimination may even be legislated in a nation’s laws, such as against people of a different religion or sub-religion, ethnicity, passport, skin colour, gender, or sexual orientation and so on, as was the case for centuries in many countries and still is today in some.

International businesses have more decisions to make. Do we choose to operate in a nation that is actively hostile towards certain form identities, “authentic selves,” that we value in our colleagues and communities? Do we choose to stand by our values and identities, inside our premises, irrespective of what is going on outside? These can be tough questions to answer, and even more difficult to implement in practice. What are the things that we are “not willing to die in a ditch over?”?What do we need to do to preserve the freedom to make such choices, unlike those who are coerced to “die in a ditch”, in their workplaces of war or slavery?

The complex global issues of the world today, such as poverty, climate change, biodiversity loss, threat of mutually assured destruction in a nuclear war, human trafficking, tyranny, slavery, and terrorism; cannot be solved without a consciousness shift, out of narrow-minded ego-based positioning.

The challenge lies in how to relate with persons in power who identify totally and are sunk within their egoic identity, unwilling to see other perspectives. More so when they have been able to “tilt the playing field” in their favour, using coercion and violence, at least until a point in time when a bigger bully has applied the same methods against them, or their proxy has withdrawn support.

There are challenges, notably from people in power who feel threatened when any forms of identity arise different to their preferred status quo; who dismiss and label them as “woke” or suppress them with violence. There are also challenges in reverse, when minorities use coercion and violence, to impose their form identities on others.?

Good governance is essential to manage the various “self” interests of people, whether they represent the majority or minority, and especially where politically savvy or worse, Machiavellian people are determined to undermine efforts for their own gains.

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Summary

Without a consciousness shift, little will change. Another layer of voluntary awareness and consciousness-raising in the workplace could be added to the range of diversity and inclusion initiatives already underway.?Community expectations may also drive such change, given the zeitgeist and various social movements also underway in the wider world.

Psychological safety is essential for improving performance and productivity in the workplace, but the “authentic self” is a myth, devised by the ego. Our search for the authentic self is potentially an impossible goal.??As business leaders we need to be aware of the challenges that this will present. The uniqueness that we (wish to) express should be honoured and accepted, so long as it does not harm someone else’s expression of uniqueness, whilst always being aware that at a deeper level, there is no “me nor I,” only undifferentiated consciousness. If we realised who we are, we wouldn’t take our “selves” as seriously as we do, nor get carried away with the illusion that the expressed self is the self.?

We would have more chance of harmony with each other, and to provide that psychological safety we all need. There would be no need to discriminate against anyone, hurt anyone and so on, as they are all “in the same boat as you”, a temporary expression of undifferentiated consciousness, for the sake of ego.

Furthermore, to tackle the complex global issues of the world today, we need to broaden our perspective beyond the limits of ego, to have any hope of finding the solutions, instead of remaining part of the problems. And if we don’t, perhaps artificial intelligence will?